Friday, July 29, 2016

THE COMBAT AIRLIFTER CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT will take ads
by phone from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday 982-9421, or you may mail
your ad to 404 Graham Rd., Jacksonville, Ark. 72078. You may also e-mail them
to combatairlifterclassifieds@arkansasleader.com Deadline to advertise in
Friday’s issue is 5 p.m. Tuesday.

DRIVERS – NORTHWEST, CENTRAL and EAST Ar area. TEAMS -
START 50 CPM! NEED ASAP! FedEx Ground Contractor needs Class A CDL drivers for
team runs. SIGNING BONUS ON DAY ONE. Premium mileage pay,great benefits. HOME 2 DAYS PER WEEK.
Apply today. Must have 1 yr. of experience, and be able to get doubles
endorsement. Call/text for more info. 870-754-5100 or email:
drivenow@outlook.com.**

HOME IMPROVEMENTS UP TO $25,000 per household with
Government Money set aside for these improvements.! WANTED 10
Homes needing METAL ROOFS, SIDING OR WINDOWS! Save Hundreds of
$$$$!!!! *Free Estimate. Payments $59/Mo. No money down. Senior and
Military discounts 866-668-8681*wac.**

The Jacksonville-North Pulaski School District will register and check-in students K through 12 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 1 and Tuesday, Aug. 2. To register a student, parents or guardians need to present proper identification, which includes a birth certificate or a registrar statement, baptismal certificate, passport, affidavit or military identification, along with immunization records and Social Security card. Proof of residence is also necessary, which requires a current utility bill (gas, water or electric), a Little Rock Air Force Base housing verification form, home purchase closing papers or lease agreement. To find your zoned elementary school visit http://jnpsd.org/pages/students-schools/interactive-attendance-zone-map-draft/. Students in grades 9-12 will attend Jacksonville High School located at 2400 Linda Lane and middle school students will attend Jacksonville Middle School located at 718 Harris Road in Jacksonville. To expedite the process, registration materials may be found at http://jnpsd.org/uploads/registration_packet_-_jnpsd.pdf. For more information regarding all the school districts, contact the Stephanie Koonst, the school liaison officer at 501-987-8341.

Back to School Brigade

Operation Homefront’s Back to School Brigade will provide school supplies for eligible military children in kindergarten through 12th grade from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 5 at the Walters Center. The event is for DEERS-enrolled military dependent children of active duty E1-E6s and post 9/11 wounded, ill or injured members of all ranks. To register, visit http://www.operationhomefront.net. For more information, email Cecil.Ennett@operationhomefront.net.

The 41st Airlift Squadron loaded four C-130Js with approximately 100 Team Little Rock Airmen, including pilots, loadmasters, maintainers, aircrew flight equipment and intelligence personnel for a week of deployment training at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

Not only does the 49th state offer beautiful landscapes but the mountainous terrain and challenging weather also creates a unique opportunity for Combat Airlift training missions much different than local training at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.

“In an effort to get a lot of our young crews trained and prepared for operations in Afghanistan we’ve come out to Alaska, where we can get into the mountains, face adverse weather conditions and operate with our Army partners as well,” said Lt. Col. Sarah Santoro, 41st Airlift Squadron commander.

Team Little Rock flying squadrons routinely support contingency operations in austere locations worldwide. Off-station training, such as the training the Black Cats conducted in Alaska, prepares members to execute and sustain rapid global mobility.

“It’s been busy,” said Capt. Jon Cordell, 41st AS mission planning chief and C-130J instructor pilot. “Getting the crews out here and challenged by everything from weather to traffic, that we’re not used to seeing, has been a great learning experience.”

Combatting the weather conditions and other variables, the mission planning cell worked behind the scenes to coordinate complex training strategies.

“Crews had to deal with real-time contingency situations,” said Santoro. “It was great to see the problem-solving that the crews could do on the fly and then take that feedback into the mission planning cell to make it better for the next day.”

The week encompassed training for all service members involved. The 41st AS C-130J loadmasters worked alongside Army units to load various assets such as Humvees, ambulatory vehicles and other support equipment to be transported for ground troops conducting Exercise Arctic Anvil 2016.

The aircrews performed low-level tactical flying, transported equipment and conducted personnel drops, landed on dirt and gravel airstrips while also navigating through the unique terrain.

“This opportunity allowed us to train like we are going to fight and ensure that crews get exposed to this type of operation before they are doing it for the first time in a combat zone,” said Santoro. “(This exercise enables) rapid global mobility and being able to support the spectrum of conflict from peace to wartime operations. (It) has helped sharpen our combat edge of delivering Combat Airlift and has made us better as a team.”

“Customers and leaders love it when he is working the pizza section,” said Master Sgt. Shaerica Waters, an HTA evaluator. “Adamson has a very positive, infectious attitude.”

Although Adamson primarily works in the pizza section, he plays an integral role at the dining facility.

“He’s a go getter,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Danielle Joe, 19th FSS dining facility assistant manager. “He’s not afraid to go out and see something that’s wrong and fix it. You need that quality in someone in a facility with so many impressionable Airmen.”

Adamson was able to receive the award because of the teamwork from the dining facility staff.

“I couldn’t have done it without the help of the Airmen, especially Senior Airman Harri Holston and Senior Airman Autumn Cox,” Adamson said. “Here at the dining facility, we’re kind of like one big family; we can’t get the job done without each other. Everyone relies on somebody else to just get some part of the objective done.”

Friday, July 22, 2016

THE COMBAT AIRLIFTER CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT will take ads
by phone from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday 982-9421, or you may mail
your ad to 404 Graham Rd., Jacksonville, Ark. 72078. You may also e-mail them
to combatairlifterclassifieds@arkansasleader.com Deadline to advertise in
Friday’s issue is 5 p.m. Tuesday.

IF YOU USED TALCUM POWDER - and were diagnosed with
ovarian cancer, you may be entitled to compensation. Johnson & Johnson
failed to warn women of the link between talc and cancer. Call Attorney Jackey
W. South. 1-800-259-1005.**

BE HOME INSPECTOR IN 30 DAYS OR
LESS - Class starts in August! We offer: Home & Commercial
Inspection Training, & Continuing Ed Inspection
classes. For details, info: Call 501-796-3627 or email abc@tcworks.net for
details or visit:, www.abchii.com.**

SERVICES

EXPERIENCED CAREGIVER available to care for your loved
one. Experience with seniors, children and special needs. CNA and CPR
certified. (501) 541-0333.

HELP WANTED

VOLUNTEER ANIMAL shelter caretaker position in North
Central Arkansas. Modest home provided at no cost. Utilities not included.
Email Kim Johnson for details & application: kimjohnson-pa@gmail.com

NOW TAKING applications for Line & Prep Cooks at
Petro Iron Skillet in Galloway. Apply now by phone, 1-888-673-8765 or online at
www.mypetrojob.com*

DRIVERS - CENTRAL and EAST Ar area. TEAMS - START 50 CPM!
NEED ASAP! FedEx Ground Contractor needs Class A CDL drivers for team runs.
SIGNING BONUS ON DAY ONE. Premium mileage pay, great benefits. HOME 2 DAYS PER
WEEK. Apply today. Must have 1 yr. of experience, and be able to get doubles
endorsement. Call/text for more info. 870-754-5100 or email:
drivenow@outlook.com.**

Operation Homefront’s Back to School Brigade will provide school supplies for eligible military children in kindergarten through 12th grade Aug. 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Walters Center. The event is for DEERS-enrolled military dependent children of active duty E1-E6s and post 9/11 wounded, ill or injured members of all ranks. To register, visit http://www.operationhomefront.net. For more information, email Cecil.Ennett@operationhomefront.net.

Civilian Corner: Tobacco Cessation

Federal Employee Health Benefits plans provide tobacco cessation benefits for participants who want to kick the habit. All FEHB plans are required to cover tobacco cessation counseling sessions and medication. This coverage must be provided with no co-payment or co-insurance charge, and is not subject to deductibles, annual or lifetime dollar limits. For more information, visit www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/special-initiatives/quit-smoking.

Chapel pool party

The Crossroads Café and Little Rock Family Housing host a pool party at the base housing welcome center for members E-4s and below. The event features volleyball, pool volleyball, Frisbee and free food and drinks. To sign up, call (501) 987-6014 by July 27, 2016.

Changes to the dining facilities meal card regulations are in full effect as of May 2016, and have sparked an array of questions from meal card holders.

The Air Force Services Agency introduced a new food service operation, referred to as the Food Transformation Initiative, beginning in 2010. Originally, six stateside bases were selected as test bases, with Little Rock AFB being one.

Key differences between FTI operations and legacy food service is Airmen who hold a meal card are now entitled to have the benefits of campus dining and to eat at all FTI contract force support facilities. FTI dining facilities on base include the Hercules Dining Facility, the Hungry Herc, the Healthy Herc, golf course, bowling center, Hangar 1080 and Wally’s Java.

A Professional Executive Chef has also joined the staff at the Hercules Dining Facility under the FTI contract. The chef provides oversight of menu production and hands-on training to military chefs.

Along with offering healthier menu items, FTI has also increased the hours of operations by providing a Grab-n-Go station that is available in-between normal hours of meal periods.

The FTI contract has also opened the military dining facilities to be used by all military personal regardless of rank, civilians, and retirees on a daily basis without meal card access.

However, most frequently asked questions come from meal card holders.

A valid meal card holder is authorized three meals per day; this has not changed from the legacy food service operation. Meals per day are not the same as has how many times a customer is authorized to swipe their card within the same meal period. A meal is considered a reasonable amount of food that can typically be consumed in one sitting, which can be dine-in or carryout.

If the customer finds themselves still hungry after enjoying their meal, they are welcome to go through the line and get “seconds” or “thirds,” and swipe their card again. It is important to remember that all additional items must be enjoyed in the dining facility.

“Seconds do not count toward the three meals a day only if the meal card holder decides to dine in at any essential station mess facility on base,” said U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Kenneth Carter, 19th Airlift Wing command chief. “Seconds are considered a part of that meal and service members can get seconds at every meal, for a total of six registered transactions; and that is okay.”

The main difference in the new regulation is: meal card holders dining in at any 19th Force Support Squadron dining facility will not be permitted to obtain two entrees within the same transaction anymore.

Airmen are still allowed their second entrée, but will be rung up two separate times in order to meet the ration/portion requirements in accordance with Air Force Instruction 34-239, Food Service Program Management.

Carry-out meals, on the contrary, will count as part of the three meals a day. In other words if an Airmen gets a carry-out meal and comes back for a second carry out meal within the same meal period, it will not be considered the same meal and will be rung up as such.

The purpose for these new rules is to enforce accountability and better appropriation of funds.

“We must keep this information fresh and share it with our peers,” Carter said. “Through better messaging, we can help everyone to understand the process for allowing for that second entrée and how they can get more than three swipes when using the dining facility during breakfast, lunch and dinner hours.”

A typical week of work for a survival specialist can include free-falling from the back of a C-130J, dangling from a hoist beneath a helicopter, trekking through woods eating insects or swimming between inflatable life rafts while instructing Airmen.

U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jerrod Mink is a survival, evasion, resistance and escape specialist for the 19th Operations Support Squadron.

From building shelters and finding potable water to land navigation and avoidance techniques, SERE specialists teach necessary skills for Airmen to survive on their own while evading the enemy until rescue.

Mink helps provide training to Little Rock Air Force Base C-130 aircrew members teaching them to survive on their own in any environment, should their aircraft go down.

“You have to be extremely self-sufficient and competent to run the intricate, high-risk operations that we do to ensure Little Rock aircrews get the most realistic training possible,” Mink said. “We train nearly 2,600 personnel annually.”

An avid hunter, Mink enjoys his on-duty time outdoors conducting survival training. Most of his instruction time provides Code of Conduct Continuation Training.

Mink manages the 19th Airlift Wing’s personnel recovery operational support programs as well as performing military jumpmaster duties for free-fall parachute operations.

Mink, along with other 19th OSS SERE personnel, prepare C-130 aircrews for the worst-case scenario in order for them to execute the combat airlift mission at their best knowing they have the knowledge to overcome any possibility.

“We tailor our program to Airmen based on the C-130 airframe and tactical airlift mission,” Mink said. “Then we take equipment aircrew members use downrange and build potential scenarios that put them in a position where they are required to apply their knowledge and hone their skills.”

As long as Little Rock AFB C-130s are flying overhead, Mink will be preparing Airmen for forest, aquatic, urban, tropical and desert survival situations.

For more information about SERE operations or to become a SERE specialist, visit www.goSERE.af.mil.

U.S. Air Force veterans and Team Little Rock leaders commemorate the H-21B helicopter static display July 14, 2016, at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. The assault helicopter was originally delivered to the Air Force in 1955 and was known as a tactical airlift workhouse.

Story and photo by Senior Airman Harry Brexel

19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

A unique aircraft recently joined Little Rock Air Force Base’s fleet. However, it’s not a C-130J and it won’t be taking off any time soon.

The H-21B assault helicopter stands out among the other static displays at Heritage Park. The helicopter is painted bright silver metallic and has two tandem upward-angled rotors that give the fuselage a distinct shape.

The H-21B airframe was originally delivered to the Air Force in 1955 and was known as a tactical airlift workhorse, similar to the present day C-130. The Air Force had 163 H-21s in its fleet and could carry 20 fully-equipped infantrymen, or 12 stretchers, plus space for two medical attendants during medevac missions.

This H-21B was initially assigned to the 314th Troop Carrier Wing at Sewart Air Force Base, Tennessee. The aircraft provided assault and airlift capabilities, along with the wing’s C-119 aircraft, as simulated aggressor forces in Exercise Sagebrush in Louisiana.

Exercise Sagebrush involved 110,000 Army and 40,000 Air Force personnel in a simulated nuclear war. The training event resolved an ongoing Army-Air Force dispute over the role of helicopters on the battlefield.

As a result Exercise Sagebrush, the largest post-World War II training event, the Army proceeded with the development of assault helicopters, which had previously been strictly an Air Force troop carrier mission. Without an Army support mission, the 314th TCW’s H-21B helicopters were switched to Air Force support missions, such as resupplying radar sites, radiological testing, range support and rescue.

After several moves and a spending 15 years in the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center, also known as the “Boneyard” at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona., the H-21B finally made its way to The Home of Combat Airlift.

Volunteers from the 314th Maintenance Group refurbished, transported and installed the helicopter. Local community leaders and Team Little Rock members came together to commemorate the aircraft July 14, 2016.

U.S. Air Force Col. James Dryjanski, 314th Airlift Wing commander, and Mark Wilderman, 314th AW historian, led the dedication ceremony.

“History makes us smarter, but heritage makes us prouder,” Dryjanski said. “Airmen from the 314th maintained, supported and flew this aircraft. This is part of our heritage.”

Friday, July 15, 2016

THE COMBAT AIRLIFTER CLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT will take ads
by phone from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday 982-9421, or you may mail
your ad to 404 Graham Rd., Jacksonville, Ark. 72078. You may also e-mail them
to combatairlifterclassifieds@arkansasleader.com Deadline to advertise in
Friday’s issue is 5 p.m. Tuesday.

HOME IMPROVEMENTS UP TO $25,000 per household with
Government Money set aside for these improvements! WANTED 10 Homes needing
METAL ROOFS, SIDING OR WINDOWS! Save Hundreds of $$$$!!!! *Free Estimate.
Payments $59/mo. No money down. Senior and Military discounts 866-668-8681
wac.**

BE HOME INSPECTOR IN 30 DAYS OR LESS - We
offer: Home & Commercial Inspection Training, & Continuing
Ed, Inspection classes. For details, info: Call 501-796-3627 or
e-mail abc@tcworks.net for details or visit:, www.abchii.com.**

DRIVERS - CENTRAL and EAST AR area. TEAMS - START 50 CPM!
NEED ASAP! FedEx Ground Contractor needs Class A CDL drivers for team runs.
SIGNING BONUS ON DAY ONE. Premium mileage pay, great benefits. HOME 2 DAYS PER
WEEK. Apply today. Must have 1 yr. of experience, and be able to get doubles
endorsement. Call/text for more info. 870-754-5100 or email:
drivenow@outlook.com.**

Operation Homefront’s Back to School Brigade will provide school supplies for eligible military children in kindergarten through 12th grade Aug. 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Walters Center. The event is for DEERS-enrolled military dependent children of active duty E1-E6s and post 9/11 wounded, ill or injured members of all ranks. To register, visit http://www.operationhomefront.net. For more information, email Cecil.Ennett@operationhomefront.net.

Civilian Corner: Tobacco Cessation

Federal Employee Health Benefits plans provide tobacco cessation benefits for participants who want to kick the habit. All FEHB plans are required to cover tobacco cessation counseling sessions and medication. This coverage must be provided with no co-payment or co-insurance charge, and is not subject to deductibles, annual or lifetime dollar limits. For more information, visit www.opm.gov/healthcare-insurance/special-initiatives/quit-smoking.

Chapel pool party

The Crossroads Café and Little Rock Family Housing host a pool party at the base housing welcome center for members E-4s and below. The event features volleyball, pool volleyball, Frisbee and free food and drinks. To sign up, call 987-6014 by July 27, 2016.

“That scream was even more chilling than the water I and my friend were in,” he said.

On June 25, a normal Saturday of kayaking at the Ouachita River Whitewater Park for U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Colton Lien, 19th Civil Engineer Squadron Explosive Ordinance Disposal technician, and his friends when they witnessed a woman fall out her inner tube into the middle of the river.

“She was with a group of people in approximately 10 tubes,” he said. “All the tubes were tied together, so the river continued to carry them down stream after she fell.”

Lien, who is also a certified canoe instructor, knew that something needed to be done immediately. The woman fell into a suck hole, which is like a whirlpool in the river. Once a swimmer becomes stuck in a suck hole, it is extremely dangerous to be in and difficult to swim out. He and his friends paddled their kayaks toward the fallen woman as they alerted others they passed to get help.

Once they reached her, they noticed that she was spinning. She would go underwater for five to 20-second intervals. Lien, his friends and another paddler who came to help tried for minutes to grab her with a rope, catch her with their paddles and reach for her from the kayaks, but nothing worked.

Eventually, the woman became unconscious.

“I was nervous, but I didn’t want to panic,” Lien said. “Plans A, B, nor C worked. We were about to attempt plan D with hopes that we didn’t have to attempt plan E, which was jumping in there myself and getting her.”

Lien surfed closer to the woman and finally, he bumped her body out of the whirlpool with his kayak. He grabbed her and pulled her body beside a large canoe that one of the paddlers was in. Though there was a small sigh of relief, she was still unconscious.

After moments of deliberation, Lien paddled the woman to shore as one person held her body and two others gave her breaths because they were unable to do CPR compressions in the water.

“It felt like forever getting back to the bank, but I think it was actually 10 minutes,” Lien said. “Reaching the bank was the easy part. When we got there, I checked for a pulse; there was none. Other people came to help with giving the woman chest compressions. Within about 15 seconds, she regained consciousness and her pulse.”

Lien stayed with the woman for an additional 15 minutes as she recovered. When the paramedics arrived, they took the woman and continued care. Lien walked away from the crowd for a few minutes to take in what just happened.

“I don’t feel like a hero,” he said. “We did what needed to be done. It was definitely a team effort. We didn’t have time to panic because she didn’t have time for us to panic. We had to move and move fast.”

Lien credits his training as an EOD technician to his fast reaction to the emergency situation. EOD members focus on the protection of personnel and property, with emphasis on personnel first. He leaned on his water safety knowledge and training to quickly assess the situation and lead the others to making the right decisions that ultimately saved a woman’s life.

He has used the publicity from this experience to share the basic water safety tips.

“Even if you are a good swimmer, wear a life jacket in deep water, and don’t paddle alone. Those tips could be the difference between life and death,” he said.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Marci Hoffman, 314th Operations Group training office flight commander, arrived on the northwest side of Baghdad International Airport, Iraq, near midnight. Having been deployed three times before, Hoffman was no stranger to contingency operations. However, this experience was unlike any other.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” said Hoffman. “Having gone through training at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., I was prepared, but not having done this mission before, I had to go in with an open mind.”

As the director of operations of a newly stood up unit, Hoffman began her three-month deployment assigned to the 370th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron at the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center, Iraq.

Aside from her role as the director of operations, Hoffman also acted as an air advisor, assisting Iraqi air force members specializing in the C-130 aircraft at Al-Muthanna Air Base, Iraq.

“It was important to provide the training and resources necessary for preparing their air mobility force for tomorrow,” Hoffman said. “It is the Team Little Rock approach; to lead the way for the force of the future.”

Hoffman’s administrative responsibilities combined with her C-130J pilot training and experience made her well equipped to mentor the Iraqi airmen and help further their air mobility training program and mission.

Her contributions aided in the completion of the first training airdrop accomplished by Iraqi airmen stationed at Al-Muthanna.

“They had six C-130Js and one E-model in their fleet, but less than half of the aircrews were trained to do airdrops in those aircraft,” Hoffman said.

A small number of previously — trained Iraqi pilots and aircrew — were taught at the Center of Excellence. The 314th Airlift Wing’s premier C-130 training school that regularly instructs students from 47 partner nations as well various branches of the U.S. military.

“We worked with the Iraqi pilots who completed airdrop training at Little Rock to train their newer pilots at a training range we set up in Besmaya Combat Training Center, Iraq,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman assisted and advised several Iraqi aircrews in aerial resupplies, short field landing assaults and maintenance debriefs.

She not only improved training techniques, but aided in the improvement of communication between air traffic control towers.

“The C-130s would come too close to each other during flight,” Hoffman said. “I worked with different units to get releasable information to the Iraqi airmen about how to get in and out of their airfields safely which greatly helped de-confliction efforts with different bases across Iraq,” Hoffman said.

Using the training they received during Hoffman’s time there, Iraqi C-130J aircrews are now able to fly two to three missions a day with six to eight sorties containing cargo.

“The 314th AW is the cornerstone of C-130 combat airlift excellence,” Hoffman said. “Our mission is to provide the world’s best C-130 training, and to see how far our partner nation has come is very rewarding — not just for me but for the wing,” said Hoffman.

Friday, July 1, 2016

Team Little Rock celebrates Independence Day with Liberty Fest starting at 4 p.m. Monday at the Base Lake. The free event features a patriotic bike parade, music, food, games, paddle boards, kayaks, crafts and fireworks. For more information, visit the 19th Force Support Squadron website at www. rockinattherock.com.

Arkansas Boulevard detour

Arkansas Boulevard from Arnold Drive south to near Idaho Circle, as well as access to Arkansas Boulevard from Connecticut Drive and Delaware Circle, will be blocked for Liberty Fest from 3-9 p.m. Monday.

Family Day set for Tuesday

Team Little Rock offices and customer service activities will be closed Tuesday, July 5 for Air Mobility Command and Air Education and Training Command family days. Normal duty hours will resume July 6.

Legal office closure

The base legal office will be closed from 2:30-4:30 p.m Friday, July 8 for an official function.

Upcoming changes of command

The 19th Communications Squadron change of command is at 9 a.m. on Thursday at the Walters Center.

The 34th Combat Training Squadron change of command is at 10 a.m. Friday at the Walters Center.

The 19th Maintenance Squadron change of command is at 1 p.m. Monday, July 11 at the Walters Center.

The 19th Medical Operations Squadron change of command is July 13 at the Walters Center.

Former Arkansas Razorback Darren McFadden, who is now a running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League, hosted a Football ProCamp at Little Rock Air Force Base on June 23-24.

The free camp, brought to the base in part by commissary sales, offered instruction to approximately 150 local military children in grades 1 – 8 on fundamental skills and the finer points of football. McFadden also spoke to campers on the importance of living an active and healthy lifestyle.

“Being from Arkansas, and being able to come out here and do this for military families, it’s just a great thing to get to do,” McFadden said. “I love the state of Arkansas, and any way I can give back, I’m always willing to do it.”

Despite sporting a brace from his right wrist to shoulder imbobilizing his recently broken elbow, McFadden personally interacted with the campers on the field showing his enthusiasm and love for the game. He broke his elbow over the Memorial Day weekend after slipping on cement at a friend’s pool.

The collegiate All-American and two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up encouraged the youth with a mantra of “work hard and be humble” – ideals that has led the him from Pulaski County’s Oak Grove High School Pulaski County all the way to NFL stardom.

“Continue to work hard,” he said. “(It’s) not something that everyone has in them, but it’s something I want to instill in people and continue to do.”

Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, McFadden played college football for the University of Arkansas. At the end of his college career, he was the most decorated player in the school’s history, and was picked fourth overall by the Oakland Raiders in the 2008 NFL Draft.

Little Rock Air Force Base, the Home of Combat Airlift and the Combat Airlift Center of Excellence, is no stranger to high operations tempo. Deployment and training operations haven’t slowed down since the runway construction project kicked off in July 2015.

Since 1955, the base’s runway has been utilized for a variety of missions throughout its 60 years of operation. The current construction project will be updating the runway from its original build and is scheduled to last approximately two years.

“As of right now, we’re in the second phase of construction,” said Kerry Miller, 19th Operations Support Squadron airfield manager. “During this phase, the assault zone airstrip, which simulates a deployed location landing, will be replaced. Once we begin the third phase, we’ll open up that area and get a portion of the runway back.”

Despite only a portion of the runway being used during the phased project, the mission doesn’t stop. The runway supports a variety of missions between the 19th, 314th and 189th Airlift Wings such as airdrops, personnel transport and C-130 pilot training.

“There is an average of approximately 1,200 to 1,300 sorties each month,” Miller said.

While the base runway currently supports the C-130J Combat Airlift mission, there isn’t enough runway space available to support a full airshow perfermance. However, the base will be hosting a Military Expo on Sept. 17.

The base is partnering with Camp Joseph T. Robinson and other military units around the state to showcase various capabilities such as equipment, aircraft static displays, flyovers, personnel and cargo drops, military working dogs and explosive ordinance disposal.

“The state of Arkansas and the local communities support our military in a variety of ways,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Julie Honeycutt, Expo director. “The Expo is an amazing opportunity to show our community how their support helps us accomplish our mission and contributes to the larger national defense.”

Visit http://www.rockinattherock.com/arkansasmilitaryexpo.shtml for more information about the Expo.